The making of things

living in our bodies getting out of our heads

When we are using our hands our minds are free to wander to solve problems to think things through to daydream. In order to make things we have to live in our bodies. It’s a sensory experience and whilst it is essential, you also have to be aware because your body is really your greatest tool.

I use my hands all the time, the twist of yarn , temperature of a vat, the viscosity of a dye pot, the surface of dough; the amount of fabric to turn up half and inch iron and turn again, how much pressure to apply to a brush, this is all about getting information in order to make the next move. It all comes from experience, the practice of doing something over and over .

The ideal combination comes when I am matching both the somatic physical input with the level of mental challenge and it has to be just at the edge of my ability to make it really sing . It is somewhat elusive and also not what you are always prioritizing but when it works, it all flows together. This is slightly different than when I am following a trail of creative curiosity, which also can feel bit like this but doesn’t have the same make up . I feel the latter is more about me getting out of my own way and allowing a call and response to happen and the former being about pushing a skill and stretching myself.

I think that when we are in this zone it’s the most satisfying place to be.

However living in the world currently with things coming at you constantly it is hard to free up your brain and focus on the task so that you actually get there.

This gap between the discipline of showing up and being able to focus in feels like it grows wider or shrinks depending on the external things going on in my life . When Im struggling to get there sometimes just beginning helps and sometimes it’s better to clear the decks so I am less distracted by the mess. Often to calm your mind the doing of things with your hands helps, sharpening an entire pencil case of pencils before you actually begin can help set the stage, settle into your body.

How do you balance the routine of making with the inevitable waves of creativity that you need to catch in order to surf and is it worth trying to go against the tide? It can sometimes be entirely demoralizing to keep trying and not have it catch.

Are there ways to stretch our limbs physically or metaphorically in readiness for creativity? Is everything in life actually in service of that time.?When coming to write here I find it much easier to write, feel stuck and walk away and come back knowing that I will figure it out at a later point. I find it much harder to let myself do that with painting even when I know that is what helps. How do we know the difference between it being a distraction and taking the space we need.

Is the crux of creativity taking everything less seriously and having faith in your self to figure it out when you come back to it? Sometimes getting stuck looks like making cookies or going for a walk. Creativities natural bent of stop and go seem to be polar opposite to the unending drive to produce constantly new.

Do you just have to come back again and again, maybe it’s that stubborn streak of needing to express something in colour , line texture that illusive feeling that we are searching for. After a lifetime of being told to look outside of ourselves for validation maybe it’s only us who ultimately can answer our own questions and return to ourselves.